


Late

by Madicam



Series: NCT drabbles [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, NCT Dream - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-29 02:04:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17799041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madicam/pseuds/Madicam
Summary: “So the new boy’s been flirting with you?” Mark said, raising an eyebrow. Donghyuck wasn’t good at being subtle, and Mark was catching on to his hints immediately.“I wouldn’t say flirting, but he’s nicer to me than you are.” Donghyuck giggled, sticking his tongue out at Mark.





	1. Lost

“Jaemin!” Mark called out, begging for the younger boy’s attention. Jaemin ignored him, singing quietly to himself as he walked through the hallway. Mark hurried down the hallway, moving as fast as he could without running; he didn’t want to get caught by a teacher. Once reaching Jaemin’s side, he had to pause, slightly out of breath. “Where the hell were you during second?” Mark finally spit out, glaring at the other boy. “We were presenting today!”

Jaemin looked down at the older boy, shrugging before continuing to walk down the hallway, leaving Mark standing dumbfounded. Mark couldn’t understand Jaemin, who had only started here this year, had the highest grades of the class. He was never in class, yet was somehow acing everything.

  
Mark seemed to be the only person who disliked Jaemin. Even his best friend, Donghyuck, talked about the new boy as if he was an angel. “I don’t understand why you don’t like him. He’s super kind! To everyone too! Not just the girls” Donghyuck said, smiling shyly as he spoke of the new boy.

“So the new boy’s been flirting with you?” Mark said, raising an eyebrow. Donghyuck wasn’t good at being subtle, and Mark was catching on to his hints immediately.

“I wouldn’t say flirting, but he’s nicer to me than you are.” Donghyuck giggled, sticking his tongue out at Mark. “That’s why I give him notes when he misses class and don’t give you-”

Donghyuck was unable to finish his sentence as Mark cut him off. “You’ve been giving him notes?” He fumed. “Hyuck you know I need the highest grade to get the scholarship and you’re just giving it to him?”

Hyuck pouted, but nodded. “I just think he’s really nice…”

Mark rolled his eyes, standing up and grabbing his bag. “If he’s so nice you can start hanging out with him instead.” He threw his bag over his shoulder and exited the building. He thought that perhaps he was being overdramatic, but dismissed the idea soon after. Donghyuck had known how important this scholarship was to Mark, yet was still willing to help a stranger over him.

  
As winter drew nearer, Mark was feeling lonelier each day. Donghyuck still spoke to him, but each lunch hour he would sit with Jaemin. Everyday weekend he would hang out with Jaemin. Both things Donghyuck used to do with Mark. He felt as if he was being thrown aside. Mark started spending his lunch hours in the library so he could study, hoping that after the next set of exams his grades would be above Jaemin’s.

The loss of Hyuck’s presence was affecting Mark more than he thought. Mark ended up failing his next test, even with the extra studying. He needed a friend. He didn’t want to admit that he may have been wrong about Jaemin, but he wanted his best friend back.

Mark tried texting Donghyuck one evening, asking if he wanted to hang out that weekend. Hyuck had replied saying that he already had plans with Jaemin, but that Mark could tag along if he liked. Mark said he’d think about it.

He ended up joining, but felt like a third wheel the whole time, even with how much the two younger boys tried to include him. He couldn’t help but notice the spark that appeared in Donghyuck’s eyes every time Jaemin spoke to him, and he didn’t miss the glare that Jaemin sent his way anytime he was a little too close to Hyuck.

Mark went home early, telling the two that his mother wanted him home for dinner. He wasn’t jealous; he didn’t care who Donghyuck ended up dating. He just wanted him to be happy. And of course, he wanted to still be able to see his best friend.

  
Formal came and passed. This year instead of going with Donghyuck, Mark went alone. They used to go together, as friends, to make up for their lack of dates. He watched from the sidelines as the other boys enjoyed themselves, sharing a dance, and a loving kiss. Mark didn’t understand what he was feeling, but he knew he was alone, and he knew he hated it.

He watched as the school year passed, watching the two boys enjoy themselves, watching both their grades skyrocket as his own plummeted towards the bottom of the list. He was only barely passing, and there were still two more sets of exams to go.

Mark joined a study group, making an attempt to bring his grades back up. He left shortly after when gossip started happening.

“Jaemin and Donghyuck are the cutest couple in school!”

“Wasn’t Mark friends with them before?”

“What happened to Mark’s grades?”

He couldn’t stand it. He did the bare minimum to get by. Mark didn’t show up to his classes much anymore. He wished Donghyuck would send him notes, like he used to with Jaemin. But Mark wasn’t kind enough to him. Mark didn’t even think Donghyuck considered him a best friend anymore.

  
Mark was going to graduate, but just barely. He wouldn’t get any scholarships, and he knew that the chances of him going to university were slim. His parents were disappointed, but they had seen the change in Mark’s personality since Donghyuck had disappeared from his life. Mark had gone from an outgoing, loud student to a shy and reserved one.

Prom was a week away, and although Mark didn’t want to go, he was going to. His mother wanted to take photos, and he at the very least wanted to make her happy. He donned a black suit, with a pink bowtie, chosen by his mother. He forced a smile onto his face for photos, thanking his mother as he was dropped off at the location chosen for this year’s prom.

Mark slipped inside, heading straight for one of the chairs and sitting down. He spotted Donghyuck with Jaemin on the opposite side of the room, and chose to ignore them, keeping his head down.

A slow song came on, and Mark had no plans to get up, until Veronica, a girl he vaguely recognized from physics, shyly asked him to dance. He smiled and nodded. She’d always been kind to him, so he didn’t see why he couldn’t. It didn’t mean anything anyway. Mark stood, walking with her to the dance floor, and placed his hands on her waist, glancing around the room.

His eyes landed on Donghyuck. The boy wore a black suit, the blazer left unbuttoned, with a red tie. Mark was fascinated. He struggled to not trip over Veronica’s feet as he studied the boy, realization coming to him.

He was too late.


	2. Advice

Mark wasn’t used to being alone. Since Donghyuck and Jaemin had gotten together, Mark had been closed off. 

After graduation, he had stripped his room bare, leaving only the essentials. Photos of him and his friends were thrown into a box - they didn’t talk anymore. His room was quite plain now, but it didn’t remind him of anyone.

Mark took a year long break, working two jobs to stay busy. He was a cashier at a clothing store called “Vanity”, and worked part-time with his father, who was a mechanic. He made sure he always had something to do so he didn’t have time to think - he didn’t want to be reminded of his loss.

During his break, he’d applied for a few universities. He’d not had the intentions of actually going, until one he was truly interested in got back to him with an acceptance letter. He started looking forward to going back to school, and having a change of schedule. He wanted to major in engineering - if he could keep his grades up.

To Mark’s misfortune, he had to stay on campus. He didn’t have the funds to get himself an apartment in the town, and he didn’t know anyone that he could split rent with. Mark was quickly assigned a roommate, the email he received telling him so. The guy was in his second year, and his name was Kim Jungwoo.

Jungwoo seemed nice enough. He’d taken the time to message Mark, introducing himself, and saying that he was “looking forward to meeting”.

Mark thought that they would get along well enough to not be awkward, but he couldn’t see them getting close. He didn’t think that anyone would reach the same level that Donghyuck did.

***

Mark arrived on campus alone. He refused to let his mother come, knowing that she would get emotional - he didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of his new roommate.

After collecting his keys, he brought his few boxes inside, and began to unpack. The room was small, but well lit. The afternoon sun shone brightly through their window, illuminating the room. It was furnished with two beds, that could be stacked into one bunk bed if they chose, two desks, and two dressers. Just enough for the both of them.

Jungwoo showed up an hour later. Mark heard the keys jingling in the door, and turned away from his dresser to open it for the older boy. 

He was greeted by a stack of boxes. Jungwoo stumbled inside, letting them flop onto the bed with a sigh. He quickly perked up and turned around, facing Mark. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jungwoo.”

Mark took Jungwoo’s outstretched hand and shook it. Jungwoo smiled, turning away to start unpacking, beginning to question Mark about things, saying he wanted to get to know him better. Mark willingly answered the questions, and asked a few of his own. He found out that Jungwoo loved animals, was majoring in linguistics, and was a pretty alright singer. Their personalities were really quite similar. Mark thought that they would get along. 

“Do you have any friends going here?” Jungwoo asked, as he continued folding his clothes and stuffing them into his dresser.

Mark swallowed, hating the reminder. “No, I don’t know anyone here.”

Jungwoo turned around, smiling cheekily. “Well consider me your first friend then.”

Mark laughed, but nodded, appreciating the gesture. He certainly could use someone to talk to at least, and who better than the person he would be sharing a room with every night? He worried that Jungwoo might get tired of him, but for now, he would take what he could get. He was just nervous about opening up to anyone.

“Wanna go to meal hall? I’m starving,” Jungwoo said, interrupting his thoughts.

Mark nodded, grabbed his keys, and followed Jungwoo out of the room. Maybe this year wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

***

The first few weeks went by fast. Mark and Jungwoo’s schedules didn’t match up, but Jungwoo made the effort to speak to Mark nightly, asking about his day. Mark appreciated Jungwoo’s attentiveness - it made him feel like someone cared about him.

Mark was often willing to tell Jungwoo just about anything. He’d become someone that Mark liked to confide in. At least with present day issues. He didn’t like bringing up his past, and Jungwoo never pushed him too.

Mark thought that Jungwoo was pretty open with him too. Jungwoo was always talking about how much he hated his homework, or how he thought someone in his class was pretty. 

Mark ended up trusting Jungwoo so much that he was the first person he properly came out to. And Jungwoo was supportive. Whenever Mark had doubts about anything, Jungwoo would listen to his worries, and give him the best advice he could. Mark needed someone like that.

One night, after the room had gone silent, Mark scrolled through his Instagram feed, liking celebrities photos, and some from old friends. He came across one from Donghyuck’s profile. “Can’t believe it’s been ten months with you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Mark frowned, scrolling past the photo without liking it, because he didn’t want to give Donghyuck the satisfaction of another like.

He’d wanted to forget about him, but every time he got close, something like this happened. Mark shut his phone off, and laid down in his bed, letting out a quiet sniffle. His quiet sniffles turned into muffled cries, and soon Jungwoo was peeking down from the top bunk (which they had made the first day there) and asking if he was alright.

Mark answered with a quiet yes, but knew that Jungwoo didn’t believe him. Mark soon saw Jungwoo’s feet on the ladder, and sat up, feeling bad for disturbing him. “I didn’t mean to wake you…” he mumbled.

“I wasn’t asleep yet. What’s up…?” Jungwoo asked, sitting on the edge of Mark’s bed.

Mark shrugged, not even sure where to begin. He didn’t know how to tell him that he still missed Donghyuck, and how much everything hurt without going through the entire story - he didn’t want to relive it.

“Take your time. I’m not gonna go away until I know that you’re alright.”

“Jungwoo…”

“I mean it Mark. You’re my friend and I care about you. I want to go to sleep knowing that you will also be sleeping well.”

Mark nodded, looking down at his hands. “Well, uhm…” he started, unsure of how to phrase his thoughts. He pulled up the photo of Donghyuck and Jaemin, scooting closer to Jungwoo to show him. “This one, on the right, was my best friend. He left me alone for this guy,” he continued, pointing at Jaemin. “He stopped talking to me after they got together.”

Jungwoo’s arm wrapped across Mark’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Mark sniffled, taking a breath before confiding in Jungwoo, telling him how he really felt about Donghyuck, and how he missed his chance. He appreciated how Jungwoo stayed, even with the close contact. He could feel Jungwoo’s hand, gently rubbing his shoulder, and it comforted him. 

As he found himself calming down and getting tired, Jungwoo laid down with him, promising not to leave until he knew that Mark was in a deep sleep. 

Jungwoo fell asleep first, and Mark woke with the boy still by his side.

***  
Mark and Jungwoo’s interactions didn’t change in public. But behind the closed door of their room, late night talks became more common, and Jungwoo often fell asleep on the bottom bunk.

Mark didn’t mind. He enjoyed Jungwoo’s presence, whether they be talking, or sitting in silence and watching a movie. He found himself finishing his homework earlier, so he could have more time with Jungwoo. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he was starting to think that he might see Jungwoo as more than just a roommate, more than just a friend.

He found himself paying more attention to Jungwoo - from how he dressed to how softly he spoke. Mark thought that Jungwoo genuinely cared for him, in at least a friend way. He sometimes worried than when the school year ended Jungwoo would forget about him. But it was only November, and he pushed those thoughts away. 

Jungwoo had introduced Mark to other people on campus. Mark could comfortably say he had at least five friends now, but he only saw Jungwoo as a close friend. Maybe even his best friend. He’d opened up faster than he had expected to, but he didn’t regret it. He was happier than he’d been in the last two years.

Mark would be lying if he said he didn’t miss Donghyuck anymore. The younger boy still appeared on his feed from time to time, and it still hurt seeing him with others, having seemingly forgotten about Mark. Mark had taken to social media himself, convincing Jungwoo and some of their other friends to take photos with him. He wanted to show that he could be happy too (and have his mother stop pestering him about making new friends).

***

Johnny, one of their friends, invited Mark and Jungwoo to a party. Mark wasn’t really a party person, but Jungwoo had begged him to go, so Mark agreed. He didn’t want to risk Jungwoo being upset with him.

Jungwoo helped Mark figure out what to wear - black skinnies with a band tee. Something simple, but Jungwoo told Mark he looked cute, so Mark was certain that he would do alright. Jungwoo had donned a grey button up shirt, with a tight pair of jeans. Mark thought he looked stunning. 

Jungwoo led Mark to the dorm that was hosting the party, them each paying two dollars to get in. Mark hoped that Jungwoo would stay nearby. He didn’t think he’d stick around if not. Jungwoo grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd, towards the drinks that someone had generously supplied.

Jungwoo grabbed himself one, before offering one to Mark. Mark accepted, knowing that he would be sipping on it all night - he wasn’t a big drinker, but one drink wouldn’t hurt. Jungwoo on the other hand, had already picked up another drink before Mark had even taken his first sip. Mark realized now that he would be babysitting most of the night. He wanted to make sure that Jungwoo would get home safe.

Jungwoo socialized, and Mark fell in step behind him, eventually giving up and falling into a chair, keeping his eyes on Jungwoo. He didn’t want to follow him everywhere, but he wanted to make sure he made it back to the dorm in one piece.

Jungwoo was currently talking to a third year. He was tall, with dark hair and sparkling eyes. Mark was jealous, but he knew it wasn’t up to him to interrupt unless Jungwoo looked uncomfortable. Mark didn’t like watching, so he turned his attention away to place his now half empty drink on the table behind him. When he turned back around, Jungwoo was gone. Mark frowned, standing to look for the boy, only to have a pair of arms slink around him.

“Dance with me…?” the voice slurred.

“Jungwoo, you’re drunk.”

“We can still dance…”

Mark sighed, turning around to face the older boy. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he would do just about anything for Jungwoo. “One dance. And then we go home okay? You have classes tomorrow.”

Jungwoo nodded, taking Mark’s hand and pulling him into a more open area. Mark let Jungwoo lead, uncertain with his own actions. He was shocked when Jungwoo pulled him close, their bodies touching. Whenever he had gone to dances before, he would be with Donghyuck, and they never got this close. Something was definitely different about this.

A fast song was playing, but Jungwoo still rested his head on Mark’s shoulder. Mark didn’t know if he was supposed to interact in a certain way, but Jungwoo seemed content as they were. They swayed softly to the music, Jungwoo sometimes looking up and smiling at Mark, making his heart flutter. 

Mark definitely liked Jungwoo.

The song (which ended up being six minutes long) finally ended, and Mark peeled Jungwoo off his shoulder, taking his hand. “We’re gonna head home now, okay?”

Jungwoo hummed in response, following Mark through the crowd and outside. The air was cold, and Jungwoo clung to Mark, shivering. 

“We’ll be there in just a minute…” Mark mumbled as they walked through the courtyard. 

“You looked really good tonight…”

Mark ignored his comment, not wanting to get his hopes up and believe him while he was intoxicated. He instead pulled his keys out of his pocket, hurrying the boy to their dorm and let them in. He helped Jungwoo up the stairs and to their dorm. As soon as the door was open, Jungwoo slipped past him and climbed into Mark’s bed.

Mark chuckled, slipping his shoes off, then sitting on the edge of the bed. He removed Jungwoo’s shoes and placed them in the corner of the room before pulling the blanket over his roommate, knowing that the boy was cold. He stood again, planning to go to the top bunk so that Jungwoo could have his space, but was quickly pulled back down. He looked over at the older boy, smiling as Jungwoo moved the blanket so it was covering the both of them. 

“Get some rest...you have class tomorrow…” Mark mumbled.

Jungwoo nodded, pulling Mark into a tight hug. Mark returned the embrace. “I meant what I said you know. You looked really nice.”

Mark blushed, hiding his face in Jungwoo’s shoulder. “I don’t believe you…” he mumbled. 

“Well you should.”

“Tell me again when you’re sober.”

“I will.”

Mark smiled, letting himself settle in beside Jungwoo. He hoped the older boy meant it.

***

Jungwoo didn’t seem to remember the events of that night. Mark didn’t want to show that he was disappointed, so he tried to pretend that nothing had happened.

When another party rolled around, Jungwoo yet again tried to convince Mark to go. But Mark insisted on staying home, saying that he had homework, and wasn’t feeling well. Jungwoo had frowned but said “I’ll be back in an hour or two”.

Mark nodded, pulling out his phone, hesitantly pulling up Donghyuck’s number. He wanted to confess to Jungwoo, but he didn’t know how to. And the only person he knew that had dealt with this before was Donghyuck.

“Can I ask you a question?” he texted, nervous for a response. He hadn’t spoken to Donghyuck in almost a year now.

He got a reply faster than he expected. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“How did you or Jaemin confess? I really like someone, and I don’t know how to tell them.” Mark was careful with his wording. He’d never properly come out to Donghyuck.

“Well, Jaemin told me while we were out for coffee one day but there’s no promising what will work for you. What’s she like?”

Mark looked at the text, hesitant about replying. “He’s my roommate… really quite kind, uhm, kind of quiet?”

“Oh shit man I had no idea, uh, maybe just bring it up casually while your doing homework or something? Take him off guard?”

“Maybe. I’m just nervous. I don’t want to make our living situation awkward.”

“Are you guys close? Like as friends?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Then I think you’ll be fine. If he sees you as at least a close friend, no matter the outcome he’ll make sure you feel comfortable around him still.”

“Thanks Donghyuck… sorry again about last year…”

“Don’t worry about it man. Let me know how it goes!”

“I will.” Mark sighed, putting his phone down. Did Donghyuck actually care how it went? Perhaps. Maybe he’d be able to reconcile their relationship. He missed having Donghyuck around, even just as a friend. Mark knew he was head over heels for Jungwoo, and that wouldn’t change if Donghyuck came back into his life.

He just had to figure out how to tell Jungwoo.

***

He decided to take Donghyuck’s advice. Mark was scared, afraid of Jungwoo’s reaction, but he knew he had to get it off his chest. 

Christmas break was coming up, so if things went badly, they’d both have some time alone to figure out their feelings.

Mark was busy typing out his final term paper when Jungwoo walked into the room. “How’d the test go?” he asked, looking up.

Jungwoo looked frustrated, and just shook his head. Mark frowned, stood up and walked over, pulling Jungwoo into a hug. “I’m sure you did better than you think.” Mark pulled away from the hug, offering his roommate a smile before returning to his essay. He’d wait until Jungwoo started working to drop the bomb.

The elder boy slipped into his desk, opening his laptop and signing in. Mark tried his hardest to focus on his paper, wanting to let there be some silence before he spoke. But he found he couldn’t wait long.

“Jungwoo, can I tell you something?”

“Hmm?” Jungwoo paused, looking up from his computer.

Mark tensed, wishing that Jungwoo would’ve continued looking at his screen, but he knew that Jungwoo was too attentive for that. He let out a shaky breath, causing a look of worry to flash on Jungwoo’s face.

“It’s nothing bad, I just don’t know how to say it.” he mumbled. “I just, I think I really like you and I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, ever since you told me I looked nice at the party, but I’ve never confessed to anyone before, or been with anyone before and-”

“Hey,” Jungwoo interrupted. 

Mark’s gaze shot up to look Jungwoo in the eye. Was he going to be told he was stupid? That Jungwoo was totally not interested and that he was silly for thinking that he could be?

“I like you too.” Jungwoo said quietly, shyly turning back to his computer.

Mark smiled, a blush forming on his cheeks.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Now finish your homework so we can go to bed. I don’t have to worry as much about being clingy now.”

Mark let out a giggle, turning back to his screen, hurrying to spit out the rest of his essay. He’d have to thank Donghyuck for the advice.

But for tonight, he’d just appreciate Jungwoo. And the fact that he wasn’t alone anymore.


End file.
